[Molecular characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from HIV patients, Guayaquil, Ecuador].

Introduction: Neurocryptococcosis is an opportunistic fungal infection that represents a high cost in human lives and for the economy of countries. Its causative agent, the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii species complex, has a sexual and an asexual phase, four major serotypes and seven molecular varieties with phenotypic, clinical-epidemiological and antifungal susceptibility differences.

Objective: To characterize by molecular methods clinical isolates of C.